April 16, 2013 > Aidez nous! (Help us!) French class fundraiser for new technology
Aidez nous! (Help us!) French class fundraiser for new technology
By Simmone Shah
If you walked into Madame (Mrs.) Razawi's French class at John F. Kennedy High School in Fremont, it wouldn't occur to you that you have stepped into a classroom of students from families of limited financial means. It would not be evident that many students in that classroom have no access to the internet or a computer at home. And, you would be unaware that across the hall are older computers - many that just don't work at all.
Instead, you would notice a class with every seat filled and students conversing entirely in French; each student involved in team games, scribbling answers on whiteboards and adding a final letter or accent to their answer. It's a classroom where laughter is embraced... as long as it's in French.
John F. Kennedy High School is diverse, welcoming students from many different backgrounds, resulting in a unique and enriching environment. Yet, many students are dependent on free or reduced cost lunches, and lacking a computer at home making it difficult to complete homework assignments offered online, take online lesson quizzes or e-mail French pen pals.
To try to solve this problem, Mme. Razawi has set up a fund on DonorsChoose.org in order to raise money for two Samsung tablets. Donors can give any donation amount toward a project; contributions can range from just a dollar to enough money to fund the entire project. All donations are tax-deductible. Mme. Razawi is hopeful that the community will respond since 73 percent of all projects on DonorsChoose end up being fully funded.
Mme. Razawi explains on the website, "A tablet in the classroom would ensure equity, and what's more, it would motivate students in engaging in higher levels of learning."
Projects on DonorsChoose.org can be left on the site for up to four months. Mme. Razawi's project expires on Tuesday, April 30. The total cost of her project is $672.99, which includes two Samsung Galaxy tablets, two protective covers, and a donation towards Donorschoose.org. With seven donations so far, $260 of the project has been covered. Your help would be greatly appreciated. To donate, please visit http://tinyurl.com/kennedyfrench
Editor's Note: Simmone Shah is a 9th grade student at John F. Kennedy High School in Fremont.